"What are you asking me?" I ask her. "I'm staying for your graduation and as a present, I'll take you anywhere want. I've talked to your dad and he's fine with it. I've got money saved up, so you choose where you want to go and I'll take you there." It's a lot to process. She's really giving me the option to take off with her after graduation? Getting out of town would be perfect, but where would I go? It feels like news I want to share. I want to tell Lacey, but I can't just tell her I'm going to leave after not speaking to her for a whole two months. That doesn't sit right with me. What's my excuse? If I love Lacey so much, why am I staying away from her? "Okay," I agree. "But can you help me with something first?" I have everything planned out. I'll go home, get the box with her necklace, and surprise her at home, telling her how I feel about her. I'll ask her to be my prom date, then ask her to be my girlfriend. Again. I jump into my car and my heart is racing. I don't know why I'm so nervous. I've asked her to be my girlfriend before. I mean, this time I'm really in love with her so maybe that's the difference. At a stop light, I can't help but imagine what her reaction will be. Will she like the necklace? Then it's like I'm really looking at her. Her face is in my rearview mirror and I just about shit my pants. "What the fuck? Lacey, what the fuck are you—how long have you been there?" I listen to her talk about what went down with Xavier, about how she's been feeling for the past few months and I feel somewhat relieved to know that her feelings haven't gone away either. I can't help but state the obvious fact that I'm part of the reason she broke her wrist, but she quickly pushes past it. And teasing her comes naturally. I don't like when things get too serious. She climbs to the front seat after I park and I can't believe she's here in the first place. "What else did you need to tell me? Or can this wait until tomorrow?" I ask her, knowing she'll get impatient with me. "No, I need to say this now." Whatever she has to say, she can't beat what I'm going to tell her. "I'm in love with you." Hearing the words come out of her mouth has my heart pounding in my chest. Okay, she beat me to it. I'm not going to tell her I love her until the perfect moment. It surprises me that she's so ready to say it, considering the year she's had with Jacob. Then she starts talking again. "I've always told myself that I don't need a guy in my life to make me feel whole. I still don't. It's like things fell into place easier when you came along." It's like she's reading my mind of what I want to say to her. Things have just fallen into place, and kind of quickly. "Do you really mean that?" I ask. I don't want her to feel like she's forcing any feelings. She laughs and I feel a little more at ease. "Dylan, I wouldn't have had Anthony help me break into your car if I didn't." Damn Anthony. "That's how you did it. I should've known." I should have told him my plan so this situation wouldn't have happened. I mean, I didn't expect her to break into my car and say she loves me. It's pretty bold and I love it. "Well, now you're kind of hopping around the subject," she says as she tucks a piece of hair behind her ear, clearly getting nervous. I have to stop myself from smiling like an idiot. "I think I've been in love with you longer." When I see the smirk on her face I know I have her. A laugh comes out of her and she asks, "Are you trying to make this into a competition?" "I'm just saying," I say. I still have to go along with my plan, but I'll have to make some adjustments now that she's here. If I ask her to prom, I need the necklace which is at my house. Bringing her to the house will work out okay, but my mom is probably there. I've met her aunt. She's met my dad. I'm sure she won't mind meeting my mom, especially if I plan on leaving with my mom after graduation. "Well, since you're here, I need to ask you something." Her face shows her eagerness with her cute lip bite. I take a deep breath before asking, "Do you want to meet my mom?" She looks relieved, but I can tell she isn't happy with my lack of emotional response. She's spilled her heart out to me, and I'll do the same. I just need it to be perfect. But she smiles anyway. "Yeah, I'd love to." After making sure her car situation is okay, I drive us to my house, with the palms of my hands getting sweatier as we get closer. Asking her to be my girlfriend is one thing. Asking her to be my girlfriend, then telling her I'm leaving after graduation is another thing. She's also going to have college to focus on. I don't have a plan. I figure I can take a year off, get my head together while working. "How long has your mom been in town?" she asks, breaking my train of thought. "Almost three weeks," I tell her.